Pressure Group Urges President Mahama To Fulfil 2024 Election Campaign Road Promise.

Wassa Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region is said to contribute positively to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as being the Cocoa Basket for Ghana, the Gold Board receiving a huge quantity of gold, and having the largest timber firm in Ghana and West Africa.

However, it appears the Municipality lacks development in terms of road infrastructure, suffers from poor connectivity, and faces water scarcity, among other issues.

The roads in Asankragwa town, including Bawdie-Asankragwa, Aboi-Nkwanta to Samreboi, and Asankragwa-Bekwai, are in a deteriorated condition.

A construction company named *Asabea Engineering Limited* was awarded the contract years ago under the previous government, but no work has been undertaken even under this current government led by H.E. John Dramani Mahama.

In response, a strong pressure group in Wassa Amenfi West, called *Amenfi West Citizens Network*, along with residents, demonstrated through the main street of Asankragwa over the weekend, expressing dissatisfaction with the government over its unfulfilled conditional promise to construct the *Bawdie to Asankragwa* road, *Aboi-Nkwanta to Samreboi*, and *Asankragwa to Bekwai*.

The group stated that during the campaign in Asankragwa, President Mahama assured them that if he became the next president, the Member of Parliament, *Hon. Dr Eric Afful*, should remind him to tar the roads.

They also highlighted that, more than a year and a half after the election, nothing has been done about the roads.

Speaking to the media on behalf of the group, Mr. Kwasi Kankam Toppoh, popularly known as Yewura*, said they were forced to protest due to the poor conditions of the roads, especially those maintained by *Asabea Engineering Limited*, and to remind President John Dramani Mahama to honour his campaign promises, as road development is a priority for them.

He added that the President should cancel the contract for the Bawdie-Asankragwa road with Mr. Samuel Ofori Larbi, CEO of Asabea Engineering Limited, has allegedly imposed himself on the project.

Furthermore, Mr Kankam claimed that the people of Wassa Amenfi West do not want Asabea Engineering Limited working on the Bawdie-Asankragwa road; they demand that he stop work and remove his tools, as he failed to complete even a single kilometre during the previous administration.

He accused Asabea Engineering Limited of colluding with successive governments over the past two decades to deceive the people of Wassa Amenfi West regarding road construction projects.

Yewura also expressed how the residents have supported the National Democratic Congress in past elections but feel they have been taken for granted.

He stated they are often neglected when the New Patriotic Party is in power.

The people of Wassa Amenfi West are now contemplating whether their concerns about development will ever be addressed.

During the peaceful demonstration, local commercial vehicle operators who joined their colleague demonstrators also voiced their frustrations over the poor road conditions, urging the government to act.

Story By: Benjamin Bray “Great Pablo” – Western Region.